Creating an aging-prepared community in the inner city: an early descriptive evaluation

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Community Health

Background:

• Aging population and rising healthcare costs necessitate innovative elder care models.
• Community-based care requires new approaches to service development and evaluation.
• Inner-city minority older adults face unique challenges in maintaining home-based living.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Neighborhood Health Advocate Program (NHAP).
• To evaluate NHAP's effectiveness in supporting inner-city minority older adults.
• To test an action research model for program evaluation in community elder care.

Main Methods:

• Description of the Neighborhood Health Advocate Program (NHAP) model.
• Implementation of an action research approach for program evaluation.
• Focus on supporting inner-city minority older adults to live in their homes.

Main Results:

• NHAP provides a novel community-based model for elder care.
• Action research framework offers a viable method for evaluating community health programs.
• The program aims to enhance the quality of life for older adults in their homes.

Conclusions:

• Innovative programs like NHAP are crucial for cost-effective elder care.
• Community-centered approaches can effectively support aging in place for diverse populations.
• Action research is a valuable methodology for refining community-based health interventions.